Go! And Escape the Flames: A Biblical Truth About Hell and Eternal Life
Introduction – The Question Few Dare to Ask
How often do we hear about heaven in our churches? Quite often. How often do we hear about blessings, hope, and eternal joy? Regularly. But how often do we hear about hell? Rarely—and yet Jesus spoke about it more than anyone else in Scripture.
This morning, our message is not comfortable, but it is vital. We are looking at hell, hades, gehenna, tartarus, the lake of fire, and the chaff thrown into the furnace. These are not myths, metaphors, or medieval inventions. They are Biblical truths—warnings given by a loving God who desires that none should perish but that all should repent and believe.
Our key verse comes from the words of Jesus in Matthew 13:41–42 (NLT):
“The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This is serious. It is eternal. And it demands our attention—not to scare us into religion, but to awaken us to the reality of salvation.
1. Hell: More Than a Word – A Reality Beyond Denial
Luke 16:23–24 (NLT): “And he went to the place of the dead. There, in torment, he saw Abraham in the far distance with Lazarus at his side. The rich man shouted, ‘Father Abraham, have some pity! Send Lazarus over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.’”
This passage gives us a window into the afterlife before Christ’s resurrection. The Greek word used for “place of the dead” is Hades (?d??)—a temporary holding place, not the final lake of fire, but a real realm of torment for the unrepentant.
In Jewish understanding, Hades paralleled the Hebrew Sheol (???????)—a realm of the dead, both righteous and unrighteous, but divided by a gulf (Luke 16:26).
This passage is not a parable about money, but a revelation of consequence—our choices in this life shape our eternity.
John Piper once wrote: “The seriousness of sin is not measured by the sin itself but by the worth of the one we have sinned against.”
In other words, hell exists because God is infinitely holy, and sin against Him is infinitely serious.
Today people say, “I’m a good person; God will understand.” But God’s standard is not “good compared to others”—it is perfect holiness. Hell reminds us sin is not trivial, and neither is the cross that saves us from it.
2. Gehenna: The Warning of Jesus
Matthew 10:28 (NLT): “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
The word here for hell is Gehenna (??e??a)—derived from the Valley of Hinnom (Ge-Hinnom) outside Jerusalem, a place of idolatry, child sacrifice (Jeremiah 7:31), and later a burning rubbish dump.
Jesus’ hearers saw Gehenna as a symbol of judgment, fire, and decay.
Gehenna points to the final, irreversible state of the lost—a place of both spiritual and physical destruction.
R.T. Kendall said: “Hell is as real as heaven, but far more often ignored.”
And that is why Jesus warned, because ignoring hell does not make it disappear.
Imagine a doctor finding cancer but telling you, “I didn’t want to upset you, so I said nothing.” That would not be kindness—that would be cruelty. Jesus warned us because He loves us.
Do you fear rejection from people more than eternal separation from God? Today, many shape their faith to avoid offence—but Jesus said, “Fear God.” Reverence for God should shape our courage, our choices, and our confession of Christ.
3. Tartarus and the Fallen Angels
2 Peter 2:4 (NLT): “For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment.”
The Greek word here is Tartarus (ta?ta???)—used only once in the New Testament, meaning the deepest abyss of gloom and confinement.
In Greek mythology, Tartarus was a prison for the wicked dead. Peter uses the term to describe the fate of certain rebellious angels.
It reveals that hell is not just for humans—it is prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).
Charles Stanley said: “God’s justice is not revenge—it is the outworking of His holiness.”
Hell is not a tantrum of God—it is His holy justice against sin and rebellion.
If God did not spare angels, why would He overlook persistent unbelief in us? Grace is offered now, but judgment is real and certain.
4. The Lake of Fire: The Final Destiny
Revelation 20:14–15 (NLT): “Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.”
Written by John in exile, Revelation unveils the final judgment when all rebellion ends.
This is the final, eternal hell—not temporary, not symbolic, but everlasting separation from God.
Tim Keller wrote: “Hell is the trajectory of a soul, freely chosen, moving away from God forever.”
Hell is locked from the inside—those who reject God on earth choose separation in eternity.
A man once said, “I don’t want to go to heaven; all my friends are in hell.” Hell is not a party. It is the absence of everything good—no joy, no love, no light, because those are gifts from God.
5. The Chaff and the Furnace: A Picture of Separation
Matthew 3:12 (NLT): “He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with his winnowing fork. Then he will clean up the threshing area, gathering the wheat into his barn but burning the chaff with never-ending fire.”
This is the language of harvest: wheat for the barn, chaff for the fire.
Farmers would thresh grain, letting the wind carry the useless husks away to be burned.
John the Baptist is describing Christ’s role as Judge—gathering His people and burning the worthless.
Max Lucado wrote: “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.”
The chaff represents a life without Christ—empty, fruitless, and fit only for fire.
Are you wheat—rooted in Christ—or chaff—living for yourself? There is no middle pile. Every soul is destined for barn or blaze.
The Gospel: God’s Rescue from the Flames
Why does this matter? Because hell is real—but heaven is offered.
God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son (John 3:16). On the cross, Jesus bore our hell, our punishment, our separation. He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” so that we would never have to.
He died, was buried, and rose again on the third day—defeating sin, death, and hell for all who believe.
Call to Action: Go! And Escape the Flames
Repent – Turn from sin. Stop treating sin as casual.
Believe – Trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. Hell is real, but so is grace.
Go and Warn Others – Hell should break our hearts, not harden them.
Invitation to Salvation:
Friend, if you have never trusted in Christ, today is the day. You may think, “I’ll wait, I’ll decide later.” But eternity does not wait.
Pray:
“Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I believe You died for me and rose again. I turn from my sin and trust You as my Saviour and Lord. Save me from hell. Make me Yours. Amen.”
Benediction:
Go from this place with the peace of Christ. May the reality of eternity stir you to live for what matters—souls saved, lives transformed, and Jesus exalted.
